02/28, 12:48pm

It's back. Get this free video player

VLC has famously been on and off the iOS App Store for various reasons -- but it's back now and looks likely to stay, because the developer is promising another major update besides this week's update, coming in the near future. Nonetheless, don't wait: grab this video player while you definitely can.

12/30, 12:03pm

App currently in TestFlight

VLC -- a popular multi-platform video player -- should be returning to the App Store early next year, says the lead developer on the iOS project, Felix Paul Kuehne. The title disappeared from the store nearly four months ago, shortly after the release of iOS 8. At the time, it was only said that the development team was "working with Apple on a solution" to bring the app back. In December, however a semi-public v2.4.0 beta was released via TestFlight, and indeed a second beta is now available.

07/04, 8:40am

Google adds Android Wear section to Google Play

Google has started to compile a list of apps compatible with Android Wear smartwatches. The "Apps for Android Wear" collection, spotted byThe Next Web, currently includes 29 apps, including Google's own Android Wear companion app, with the list consisting of a number of contributions from prominent apps and their developers, including IFTTT, Duolingo, Pinterest, and American Airlines.

09/26, 11:35am

MKV gets better subtitle support, faster seek

VideoLAN has released a major update of VLC, its open-source, multi-platform media playback software. Version 2.1 -- codenamed Rincewind -- is the first to support 4K "Ultra HD" video, and has been given quicker video decoding and a rewritten audio system, the latter with improvements like higher fidelity, new effects, and better volume and device management. OpenGL output has been ported to OpenGL ES, which should make it easier to port to iOS and Android, and MKV playback has received faster seek performance and enhanced subtitle metadata support.

07/18, 2:56pm

Will gain Dropbox integration, network streaming

VLC will return to the iOS App Store on Friday, reports note. The v2.0 app has been completely rewritten, but should still be able to handle all of the media formats the previous version did. Several features have in fact been added, like Dropbox integration, the ability to download files from a webserver, and support for streaming over a network, including via iTunes filesharing. The app's developers are also promising touches such as video filters, AirPlay support, and new playback speed controls.

07/02, 8:57am

First beta version of VLC player for Android finally lands

The wait for the popular multimedia player VLC (Free,Google Play) is finally over for most Android users. VideoLAN stresses that the app is not yet stable and is only intended for power users and hackers, at this time. It is compatible with most Android devices, provided that they support the NEON engine for ARMv7 processors.

02/18, 4:00pm

VLC 2.0 media player ships

VideoLAN on Saturday posted one of its largest updates yet in the finished version of VLC 2.0. The new media player sees the most interface changes on the Mac, where it now has a single-window interface as well as tighter visual and technical integration with Lion. It now supports any QTKit device capture and sound, and both PowerPC and Leopard-era users can still expect support, even at higher video resolutions.

02/13, 1:30pm

Mac interface to be overhauled

VideoLAN says it is working on a major v2.0 update of VLC, the group's free, open-source media player software. The project is described as a complete rewrite, one which will add major features to different platforms. The Mac version, for instance, will gain Blu-ray playback, a native fullscreen mode in Lion, and an overhauled interface, closer in appearance to iTunes. Media formats, for instance, are situated in a left-hand column.

04/11, 2:00pm

Expands AirPlay streaming options

A developer, James Laird, has reportedly reverse-engineered the private key used in the AirPort Express. The immediate result is a piece of open-source software called Shairport, which emulates the Express and allows iTunes streaming to normally unsupported third-party software or hardware. Officially the Apple technology is intended for AirPorts and a limited selection of other AirPlay-compatible hardware.

01/10, 4:45pm

Claim app had help from VideoLAN

Applidium is mystified at the iOS VLC app being pulled from the App Store, according to one of the developers. Romain Goyet comments that on Friday, the company received an e-mail from Apple informing them of the decision. "We regret that the dispute regarding your application named ‘VLC Media Player’ could not be resolved amicably between the parties. We have removed your application from the App Store. For any questions relating to this matter, please contact Rémi Denis-Courmont directly," the message reads.

01/07, 8:35pm

Move said to be related to licensing dispute

Apple has finally pulled Applidium's VLC video player app from the iTunes store due to a licensing discrepancy. The situation is one of the prominent examples of conflict between the open-source GNU General Public License, which is tied to the VLC player, and the terms detailed in Apple's own App Store licensing.

12/27, 3:50pm

VLC app for Android coming very early in 2011

The popular VLC media player app will soon arrive for Android handsets, GigaOMreported last week. The team behind the open source video player may release an Android app early in 2011, possibly within weeks of the new year, though no specific dates are known. The lightweight program supports a plethora of file formats, and an iOS version was launched in October.

11/01, 5:25am

Apple’s distribution model violates GNU license

Applidium’s VLC free open-source universal iOS video player app VLC appears likely to be pulled from Apple’s iTunes store. The app, which only launched in September, cannot be distributed through Apple’s store as this violates the GNU General Public License (GPL) that VLC has been developed under. In a strange twist, the violation has been brought to the attention of Apple in formal letter written by Rémi Denis-Courmon, who is also one of the principal developers of the VLC app.

10/14, 2:40am

Recent generations only, however

Applidium, who last month brought open-source video player VLC to the iPad, have submitted an update to make the app Universal, allowing recent-generation iPhones and iPod Touches to run the program as well. The app version, which does not play all video formats as its desktop version does, greatly expands the format options for audio and video on Apple's iOS mobile devices.